Staple opener

ABSTRACT

The staple opener comprises two levers swingably connected near their one ends and having each a pair of peaks at their other ends. A tongue is formed at the end of one lever between the two peaks thereof. The opener is suited for staples of two different sizes. Staples with greater distance between the staple legs can be opened by means of the opposite pairs of peaks. Staples with smaller distance between the staple legs can be opened by means of the tongue and the opposite pair of peaks.

United States Patent [in 3,598,367

[72] Inventor Bruno Ghibely [56] Relerences Cited Ahrenslmrg, Hols iGermany UNITED STATES PATENTS P 840305 2,553,660 5/l95l Levendusky254/28 ggff 3. 2,940,727 6/1960 Sega] 254/28 [73] Assignee Ego MfllllymuM -fi "uhnken 3.484.080 l2/l969 Tolliver 254/28 Ahrensburg, Holsteinlruckenstr, Primary Examiner-Robert C. Riordon Germany AssistantExaminer- David R. Melton [32] Priority Nov. 8, I968 Attorney-Beaman &Beaman [33] Germany [3 l] P 18 07 688.5

ABSTRACT: The staple opener comprises two levers swingably connectednear their one ends and having each a pair of peaks at their other ends.A tongue is formed at the end of one lever between the two peaksthereof. The opener is [541 STAPLE suited for staples of two difi'erentsizes.

9 Chm", 3 Staples with greater distance between the staple legs can be[52] 0.8. CI. 254/28 opened by means of the opposite pairs of peaks.Staples with [51] lnt.Cl l25c "/00 smaller distance between the staplelegs can be opened by [50] Field of Search 254/28 means of the tongueand the opposite pair of peaks.

PATENTEI] AUGIOIHYI 3.598367 INVEN'IUR. BY g STAPLE OPENER BACKGROUND orTHE INVENTION The invention relates to a staple opener suited foropening sta les of two different sizes. U-shaped staples usually serveto connect sheets of paper with each other in such a manner that theycannot be easily detached. The staples are pressed through the sheets tobe connected by means of manually operated stapling machines or by meansof machine-operated stapling guns, and the ends thereof are bent on thecounter punch of the machine or gun into a position in parallel with theplane of the paper, whereby the staple legs are bentaway from each otheror towards each other. The bending is effected under the action ofpressure in order to obtain a positive connection between the paper andthe staple.

The selected cross-sectional area of the staple wire, for instance roundwire, flat wire or bridle .wire is'determined by the thickness andstrength of the paper sheets to be connected. The usual paper types suchas typewriter, copying, airmail and photographic paper, differ very muchfrom each other by their properties. The dimensions of the staplesdepend on the number of the sheets of paper to be stapled. v

There are essentially two types of staples available on,the market,namely, a first type of staple with larger dimensions and rectangularcross-sectional area and a second, smaller type of staple with genera yround cross-sectional area.

Methods of loosening the connection of paper sheets stapled by wirestaples with the aid of a staple opener are known. With these methods,the staple is not torn out of the paper sheets but the legs of thestaple are again bent essentially into their position prior to thestapling operation,"hy the cooperation of two elements of the opener.The staple may then easily be pulled out of the stapling holes in thepaper sheets.-

It is the object of the invention to provide a staple opener with theaid of which both large and small staples of any desired cross-sectionalareas may be easily opened.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In accordance with the invention, the newstaple opener comprises a first and a second lever swingably connectednear their one ends by a pivot, a pair of peaks formed on each lever atthe other ends thereof, both pairs of peaks being directed substantiallytoward each other with the distance between both peaks of the firstlever being smaller than the distance between the peaks of the secondlever and the peak edges facing toward the pivot being sloped to thelever longitudinal direction whereby when approaching the other ends ofthe levers the peaks overlap each other and the intersection points ofcooperating sloped edges move toward the pivot, and a tongue arranged atthe other end of the second lever between the front edges of the twopeaks thereof with a distance from the peaks adapted for the first leverpeaks to engage between the tongue and the second lever peaks the endsection of the tom gue being aligned with the front edges of the secondlever peaks and at least the center section thereof being curved towardthe pivot. When opening large staples the two pairs of peaks cooperatewith each other; when opening smaller staples, the tongue cooperateswith the peaks of the second lever.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING Fig. 3 shows an end view of the stapleopener to illustrate 75 another shape of the tongue.

I 2 DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The staple opener comprisesa second lever 12 having a U- I shaped cross-sectional area, a tongue 14arranged to stand free between the legs 12a at the front side of thislever 12, a first lever 16 with a smaller U-shaped cross-sectional areand two vaulted finger grip plates 18 and 20 provided with a corrugatedsurface and fastened each on a lever.

The levers l2 and 16 are swingably connected by means of a pivot 22arranged near their one ends. Their other ends are pressed apart fromeach other until they contact a stop face (not shown) by means of asuitable resilient means 24, for instance, a spiral spring or a platespring. In the stop position the distance between the cooperating peaksof the two levers is at least equal to the diameter of staple wire. Theequally long levers l2 and 16 are rounded off at their working ends witha bend radius being equal to the distance of these ends to the pivot. Atthe working ends of the levers, the lengths of their legs are steadilyshortened in the direction towards the pivot, so that a pair of peaks12b and 16b are formed on each of the levers l2 and 16 at the outermostends thereof. The peaks and the tongue can be hardened.

The tongue 14 is formed with a permanent deflection 14a and is taperedand pointed at its end; it may either be made of a material having thesame thickness as the U-shaped lever 12 or be shaped massively with arectangular cross-sectional area (please see FIG. 2). The faces of thelegs of lever 16 extend in parallel with respect to the faces of thelegs of lever 12 and the edges or faces, respectively, of the tongue 14and, when in the working position, are disposed between thelast-mentioned faces of lever 12 and edges or faces of tongue 14. Thetongue I4 also may have a U-shaped cross-sectional area with points 14h.

When opening large staples, the peaks l2h of the lever 12 are pushedbelow the staple legs as far as possible from the one staple side.'lhereupon, the other lever 16 having peaks 16h arranged more closely toeach other, is approached by pressure applied to the finger grip platesl8 and 20, against the action of the plate spring 24. The peaks lob thenengage beneath the staple legs on the other side thereof. Withincreasing com pression of the working ends of the levers l2, l6againstthe action of the spring, the pairs of the peaks 12b, 16b overlapeach other and with increasing overlapping the intersection point of theedges of cooperating legs of the elements l2, 16 takes a greaterdistance from the front edges of the peaks whereby the staple legs arebrought essentially into the position they had before the staplingoperation was carried out. When the staple legs are bent off from thesurface of the uppermost sheet the staple can be drawn out of thestapling holes from the other side of the sheets.

When opening smaller staples, the tongue 14 cooperates with the smalleropening lever 16. The tapered and pointed tongue is pushed beneath thestaple legs as far as possible from one side thereof. After the approachof the element to with the peaks 16!), the staple is pressed onto thedeflection Ma of the tongue 14 and simultaneously the legs ofthe stapleare pressed against the inner surface of the lever l6 in theneighborhood of the working peaks lob, in so doing, they are essentiallybent into their position before the stapling. Finally, the staple willhave been guided onto the deflection [40 so much, that it may be pulledout of the last sheet of paper. Same as is the ease with the opening oflarge staples the pierced holes are not much widened either when openingsmall staples.

In the embodiment as shown in FIG. 3, of a tongue with U shapedcross-sectional area, the peaks 14h aligned with the 1. Staple openerfor two different staple sizes comprising a first and a second leverswingably connected near their one ends by a pivot, a pair of peaksformed on each lever at the other ends thereof, both pairs of peaksbeing directed substantially toward each other with the distance betweenboth peaks of the first lever being smaller than the distance betweenthe peaks of the second lever and the peak edges facing toward the pivotbeing sloped to the lever longitudinal direction whereby whenapproaching the other ends of the levers the peaks overlap each otherand the intersection points of cooperating sloped edges move towards thepivot, and a tongue arranged at the other end of the second leverbetween the front edges of the two peaks thereof with a distance fromthe peaks adapted for the first lever peaks to engage between the tongueand the second lever peaks, the end section of the tongue being alignedwith the front edges of the second lever peaks and at least the centersection thereof being curved towards the pivot.

2. A staple opener in accordance with claim I, wherein one of the leversis provided with a stop face limiting the divergent movement of theother lever ends and a spring interposed between the levers presses thelatter into their stop position in which the distance between thecooperating peaks of the two levers is at least equal to the diameter ofthe staple wire.

3. A staple opener in accordance with claim 1, wherein a finger gripplate is fastened at the other end of each lever with the surface ofapplication facing away from the peaks of this lever.

4. A staple opener in accordance with claim 1, wherein the end sectionof the tongue is pointed.

5. A staple opener in accordance with claim I, wherein the peaks and theend section of the peaks are hardened.

6. A staple opener in accordance with claim I, wherein the tongue hasthe same thickness of material as the levers.

7. A staple opener in accordance with claim I, wherein the tongue is aplate formed integrally with the second lever.

8. A staple opener in accordance with claim I, wherein the tongue isU-shaped with two peaks.

9. Staple opener for two different staple sizes comprising a first and asecond lever with a U-shaped cross-sectional area swingably connectednear their one ends by a pivot with their legs facing to each other, theleg distance of the first lever being smaller than the leg distance ofthe second lever, a peak formed on each leg at the other ends of thelevers with both pairs of peaks being directed substantially toward eachother and the width of each leg decreasing from its peak along at leasta part of the lever length, and a tongue formed at the other end of thesecond lever between the front edges of the two legs with a distancefrom both legs adapted for the first lever peaks to engage between thetongue and the second lever peaks, the end section of the tongue beingaligned with the front edges of the second lever legs and at least itscenter section being deflected toward the pivot.

1. Staple opener for two different staple sizes comprising a first and asecond lever swingably connected near their one ends by a pivot, a pairof peaks formed on each lever at the other ends thereof, both pairs ofpeaks being directed substantially toward each other with the distancebetween both peaks of the first lever being smaller than the distancebetween the peaks of the second lever and the peak edges facing towardthe pivot being sloped to the lever longitudinal direction whereby whenapproaching the other ends of the levers the peaks overlap each otherand the intersection points of cooperating sloped edges move towards thepivot, and a tongue arranged at the other end of the second leverbetween the front edges of the two peaks thereof with a distance fromthe peaks adapted for the first lever peaks to engage between the tongueand the second lever peaks, the end section of the tongue being alignedwith the front edges of the second lever peaks and at least the centersection thereof being curved towards the pivot.
 2. A staple opener inaccordance with claim 1, wherein one of the levers is provided with astop face limiting the divergent movement of the other lever ends and aspring interposed between the levers presses the latter into their stopposition in which the distance between the cooperating peaks of the twolevers is at least equal to the diameter of the staple wire.
 3. A stapleopener in accordance with claim 1, wherein a finger grip plate isfastened at the other end of each lever with the surface of applicationfacing away from the peaks of this lever.
 4. A staple opener inaccordance with claim 1, wherein the end section of the tongue ispointed.
 5. A staple opener in accordance with claim 1, wherein thepeaks and the end section of the peaks are hardened.
 6. A staple openerin accordance with claim 1, wherein the tongue has the same thickness ofmaterial as the levers.
 7. A staple opener in accordance with claim 1,wherein the tongue is a plate formed integrally with the second lever.8. A staple opener in accordance with claim 1, wherein the tongue isU-shaped with two peaks.
 9. Staple opener for two different staple sizescomprising a first and a second lever with a U-shaped cross-sectionalarea swingably connected near their one ends by a pivot with their legsfacing to each other, the leg distance of the first lever being smallerthan the leg distance of the second lever, a peak formed on each leg atthe other ends of the levers with both pairs of peaks being directedsubstantially toward each other and the width of each leg decreasingfrom its peak along at least a part of the lever length, and a tongueformed at the other end of the second lever between the front edges ofthe two legs with a distance from both legs adapted for the first leverpeaks to engage between the tongue and the second lever peaks, the endsection of the tongue being aligned with the front edges of the secondlever legs and at least its center section bEing deflected toward thepivot.